Evaluation of the TechHire and Strengthening Working Families Initiative (SWFI) Grant Programs - NF
About The Study
In 2016, the Chief Evaluation Office (CEO) partnered with the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) to fund contractors Westat and MDRC to conduct an implementation study and randomized controlled trial (RCT) impact study of the H-1B-funded TechHire Partnership Grants (TechHire) and the Strengthening Working Families Initiative (SWFI). The Department of Labor awarded funds for both of these programs in September 2016.
H-1B visas allow employers to hire individuals from outside the United States to work in specialty occupations, such as science, engineering, and healthcare. TechHire and SWFI, funded through H1-B visa fees, aim to develop a U.S. workforce with the skills to work in these high-demand fields. The grants provide competitive funding for programs that make training more accessible to individuals who might otherwise experience barriers to training and employment; provide support services that address these individuals’ unique and varied challenges; and offer a range of training strategies to address skills deficits.
This Department of Labor-funded study was a result of the Department’s research priorities for the upcoming year. It contributes to the labor evidence-base to inform employment and training programs and policies and addresses Departmental strategic goals and priorities.
- What are the impacts of the TechHire and SWFI programs on employment and earnings, skills and credentials, and advancement and job quality?
- What are the types and combinations of programs, approaches, or serviced provided under the TechHire and SWFI grant programs?
- How are the systems, partnerships, programs, and services implemented? What factors influence implementation? What issues and challenges are encountered, and how are they overcome?
- How and to what extent do tailored support services and training tracks expand participant access to targeted employment, improve program completion rates, connect participants to employment opportunities, and promote innovative and sustainable program designs?
- Evaluation of the TechHire and Strengthening Working Families Initiative Grant Programs: Two-Year Impacts Report (Impact Report, December 2023)
- Affordable Child Care Challenges and Solutions for Low-Income Parents Pursuing Training and Employment: Lessons from the Strengthening Working Families Initiative (April 2022)
- Implementation Lessons for Practitioners from the TechHire and SWFI Randomized Controlled Trial (April 2022)
- Training for High-Tech Jobs: Implementation and Early Impacts from the TechHire and Strengthening Working Families Initiative Randomized Controlled Trial (November 2021)
- Evaluation of the TechHire and Strengthening Working Families Initiative Grant Programs: Findings from the Implementation Study (November 2021)
- Early Outcomes Study Report (November 2021)
- TechHire - Data-Driven Decision Making: Tools to Review and Manage Performance (Webinar, February 2019)
- SWFI-Data-Driven Decision Making: Tools to Review and Manage Performance (Webinar, February 2019)
Program Duration: 96 Months
Contract End Date: September 2024
Contractor: Westat and MDRC
For More Information: ChiefEvaluationOffice@dol.gov
The Department of Labor’s (DOL) Chief Evaluation Office (CEO) sponsors independent evaluations and research, primarily conducted by external, third-party contractors in accordance with the Department of Labor Evaluation Policy and CEO’s research development process.